Mechanism for operating cranes.



J. P. DOWD. MECHANISM FOR PBRATING GRANIESY.

' APPLLCATION FILED JAN. 11, 1912. 1 24,836, Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

3 BHBETS-SHEET 1.

J. P. Down. 6 MECHANISM FOR OPERATING .CRANES.

APPLIOATIOH nun M11111, 1912.. 1 ,024,836. I Patented 'Apr.- 30, 1912.

' 'BSVHBETSSHEET 2;

v /L nnnto t P pown. MECHANISM FOR OPERATING mums:-

APPLICATION FILED-flu. 11. .1912. I i Patented Apr. 30, 1912 s Sunnis-SHEET 3.

onrrn STATES rattan o JQEN P. DOl/VID, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN HOIS'IING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, CORPORATION.

MECHANISM ron OPERATING cnANEs.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Application filed January 11, 1912. Serial No. 670,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN P. Down, a oiti zen of the United States, residing at the city of Cleveland, in the county of. Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Operating Cranes, of

which the following is a full, clearyand' exact description, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings, that form a part,

of the specification, wherein similar parts are designated'by'similarletters in eachcase.

Although 'the invention, broadly speaking,-has to -'do with locomotive-cranes in general, its more specific embodiment is that form of tool or apparatus when adapted for use inconnection with scoops or shovelbfickets in excavation work, or in transferring ore, coal or similar material from a stock-pile or like source of supply to cars or other points for deposit. Operations of this kind generally (comprise the use of buckets that are suspended within bails at points on their sides forward ofthe center of gravity of the bucket when empty, but be hind the same. when loaded, sothat, when free to move upon the bailtrunnions,'the bucket will automatically dischargeits load and immediately right itself into proper relations with its bail to take in a new load.

The operation further involves the use of oppositely related hoist, and haul-0r dragropes, to, respectively, raise orilower the is being dragged through the material toward the drums, or, is being lowered to the material from the head of the boom) or, simultaneously, as when the loaded bucket,

is being carried in suspension from- ;tl1e" ropes, outwardly, beneath such boom; the former movement, the non-active rope 1s freely paid out from its drum and is under no greater tension than that due -,to' its weight, while, in the latter movement, that} of conveying the bucket and load outwardly beneath the boom, the ropes are in direct opposition, and the buckets path is determined by these opposite forces as applied to the load to be sustained. Said movements,

In the drawings Figure a side eleva-' .tion of a locomotive crane ofa two-rope type whether in succession or simultaneously, manifestly vary, relatively, according to the direction to be taken, the points to be reached, or, the pace to be maintained, but, are all determined or regulated by the v drums towhichsaid ropes areseverally at- '60 tached. 'IncraneS of the kind in question, a

so far asI. am informed, these drums are independent of each other, and are themselves controlled by separate and independent brakes and clutches and, in no case, act inentire unison; For this reason, theactuatingforce to be exerted on the drum of the hoist-line must always exceed the combined,

weight of the loaded bucket and the resistance of the drag-line'drumwhen braked. When, for instance, it is desired to raise the loaded b'ucket 7 and convey the same outwardlybeneaththe boom, the hoist-rope is Wound up {on its drum while the drum controllingjthe drag-rope is subjected to brake resistance.This resistance, however, must not be absolute, but, in such degree only as will serve to'maintainthe vload at the desired height, and, at the same time sufiiciently yield to the, opposite pull of the hoist-rope,.to permit the load to be traversed in" the horizontal direction.- Much of the entire force required in the operation is thus expended in overcoming this resistance, and themain purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanical arrangement, in the class of instruments specified, wherein the forces exerted maybemade .to act in series, instead of in opposition, an exactcorrespondence be established in' the movement lot the'drums, and. a'consequent gain in efli/ ciencyand motive strength -be brought about. The arrangement also involves otherk-features'bf advantage as Willsubsequently appear.

or, system, with the rearportion of its frame istructure removed; the bucket is shown in position to be hauled in for its load. Fig.

2 is a like view of a three-rope system, and,

Fig. 3, is a plan view, partly in section, of

a unitary system of operative mechanism applicable to cranes of either of said systems.

The cranes, as a whole, are respectively denoted by C and C (Figs. land 2) and the buckets by b, 6

L is the haul or drag-rope, in each case,

is fastened to the hoist-drum D E and E indicate the driving engines, S, the main driving shaft, dulymounted, near each end, upon engine bearings, and S the hoisting, and drag-rope drunrshaft upon which the drums D and D are loosely mounted, In order to provide for the turningof these drums aboutthe supportingshaft S ,in the various, movements required of the. same, gears G and G meshing into actuating pinions G and G arerespectively fastened to the ends of said drums. The pinions themselves are actuated by the movementof the sleeves s and on the driving shaft S, on which sleeves the pinions are severally mounted Said sleeves are loosely mounted on the driving shaft, and each terminates, near the middle point of the shaft, in oppositely related gears G and G The outer ends of the sleeves are, re-

spectively, in the form of disk-like wheels,

W and -W having scores w and w for the purpose of receiving annular brake blocks 71: and 70 therein. Goncentrically and on th same side of the wheels as said scores, are

annular flanges 10 and Q03, to afford the requisite support for friction blocks k and k that are fastened to the same.

Frictionclutches, represented by K and K are keyed to the shaft S, in suitable re- 40 lations, respectively, to the friction blocks 70 and 70 to engage the same whenever it is desired to rotate one or both of said sleeves, and, freely mounted on the shaft-S, between the disk-like wheels W and W is a brake wheel H, within the score'of which suitable brake-mechanism, indicated by is, is adapted to operate. Atpoints at the sides of this wheel, diametrically opposite to each other, and within the Wheel itself, are radial pins P, P, each of which carries a loosely mounted pinion G, that meshes into the beveled gears Gr G. By means of the intermediary connection thus established between the two sleeves s and 8 it is evident that either sleeve,

and the drum controlled thereby, may be revolved without a movement of the other sleeveand drum, or both sleeves, and their drums, mayibe rotated at the same time reversely with respect to each other. To this end levers with suitable mechanical connections, for applying, modifying or relaxing the several brakes described are indicated in the drawings.

As an additional feature of the unitary system already referred to, I provide a meipaaeee chanical arrangement to be operated in connection therewith, when a three-rope sys tem of handling shovel-buckets or scoops is to be employed, instead of a two-rope system for which the arrangement herein before explained is adapted. As'is well understood, a third or tagdine, connected to the bucket at one end, and, to an independent winding drum on the crane at the other, is sometimes employed in devices of the class under consideration, for the purpose of ef-' footing the dump of the load at-the will and from the station of the operator, and at any intermediate point beneath theboom. The third rope, under these circumstances, is required both to relievethe pull on the bail by the haul-line, and thereby leave the bucket free to turn on its trunnions, but, on such release, to hold the same against swing ing forwardly, on the hoist-rope, and away from the destined place of discharge. In many instances also, the third rope is so connected, at or near the bucket itself, that, when it thus assumes the function of the haul-rope for the time being, a slight movement of the load toward a new equilibrium must occur, which is utilized to automati' cally disengage the latch of the bucket and set it free to turn. Connections of this character are shown and described in United States Letters Patent numbers 1,008,247 and 1,009,653, that were granted to me on, respectively, November the seventh and twenty-first, 1911. To provide for these functions in the system referred to, I show a tag-line L fastened at its outer-end to a sheave-like member A," connected to the bail B of the bucket b (Fig. 2) with unlocking devices indicated by F and T, as set forth in said patent 1,008,247, and, at its inner end, connected to and wound around a special drum D that is mounted upon a shaft S .upon the crane-structure or frame, in front of the mechanism thereon already described. This shaft is controlled by a brake-wheel W and, .in order to keep the tag-line taut at all times, I provide a counterweight system made up of the rope L that is wound around the drum 1)", at its lower portion, reversely to the tag-line L, and is led around sheaves a, (1 near the upper part of the cranes mast, at its other end, to a counterweight J In order to provide for the usual rotatory movements of the boom, in connection with the various operations above described, a crane rotating-shaft S is shown aslocated in advance of the driving shaft S, and as actuat-ed thereby, through the pair of intermeshing gears G and G Near the outer end of the shaft St, is a pair of brake and clutch wheels W and W whose hubs are provided with beveled gears G and G which mesh into an underlying beveled gear- G upon the upper end of an upright shaft S. This latter sha'ft carries, upon its lower end, the

usual pinion in engagement with the circu- 'lar rack around the base of the crane.

As will appear by the foregoing'arrang'erequired, and in a positive and economical V ingly drawn off from its'drum against the manuerL Let the bucket be at the initial point for getting lead as shown, for instance, in Fig. '2, with the driving shaft S revolving, and all brakes and clutches oif,

then, in order to complete an operative cycle, the clutch K is thrown in, whereby the sleeve 8 is coupled to the driving shaft Sv and the pinion and gear Gr and G are actuated. Thereupon the drumD will be rotated and the haul-line L, wound in, the tagline L being meanwhile wound in on its drum D under the influence of the counterweight J Under these conditions the drum D being free to revolve upon its shaft S the hoist line L will run out, accordingly,

.until the bucket has been drawn'in to the extent required to gain its load. The brake k is now set, the clutch,K thrown out of engagement with the ;wheel W, and the clutch K thrown into engagement with W The sleeve 8 is thereby coupled to the shaft 1 S and the pinion and gear Gr and G actuated by the same and the direction of .the rotation of the drum D reversed'where'by the hoist-line L will be drawn in, in opposition to the haul-line L and-the bucket and load raised to the desired height for carrying. The brake is is thereupon released, and, at thew-same time the brake is is set, which will-hold the brake wheel H against rotation around the shaft S, which will subject the pinions Gr to rotation around their pins P, by the beveled gear G andactuate the opposite beveled gear G and its sleeve 8. This, in turn, will actuate the drum D reversely from its former rotation and cause the haul-.line L to unwind at the same pace as the hoist-line L? i s'wound in. aThdtagline L as is evident, will be' correspond action of the counterweight J During the operation last described,ftle boom itself,

with the load, is to he s ng around the mi e-body 1-40 t e pi' e =01? discharge, by

simply clutching the .wheelvW or. W to the "shaft S (accordingto the direction the swing is tdbe-made), until this place is reached under the conditions above stated,

when. the' wheel H is unbraked, the, wheel unclutched from the shaft S and'braked,

the drum D being at they'sa'ineitime held v I I against further rotation by applying the brake of the wheel W tothe drum shaft- S.

The tension'on the haul-line isther eby/at once transferred to the tag 'lineL yandg'by the ensuing movement to readjustequilib' rium hereinbeforereferred to, the tail-latch loosed and the bucket 'will' automatically turn over on-its trunnions' and-precipitate.

its load below. The boom may nO -Qr versely traveled until the empty bucket, in;-

arrangement on the bail bucket will be unit's righted} position, is brought above the material bedas before, when the bucket mayv be lowered upon the bed, intothe position first assumed, by paying out either the hoist-line L 'a lone, .or in conjunction with the haul-lineL accordingto the 'vplace on the material bed beneath the boom to which the .bucketis to belowered. 1

What I claim and desire to secure by'Lets ters Patent,is;' The combination, with a main drivingshaft having sleeves loosely mounted thereon provided with oppositely'related gear wheels at the inner ends of the same, of a brake-- wheel looselymountedonsaid shaft intermediately of said gear-wheels, suitably mounted drums provided with gear-wheels for rotating the same, diametrically arranged pinions on said brake-wheel inmesh with said gear-wheels on the sleeves, pinions on said sleeves in mesh, respectively, with said gear-wheels on said drums, together with suitable means for severally clutching' said sleeves to said driving-shaft, and for.

braking said brake-wheel against rotatory ln presenc'ef of Y LIP. LIPPS, HOWARD M. WHITE.

movement around said shaft, substantially. as shown and described,

JOHN 1 own. 

